Originally shared on Instagram on December 24, 2025. Photography and story by Mark Middleton.
Of all the drone photographs I create this one is slightly different—I didn’t edit myself out! If you look closely, you can actually see me standing on the sidewalk in front of the cathedral.
This photograph was taken in March of 2025, on a side trip after a realtor convention in Cannes at MIPIM. With a free window between meetings and travel, I found myself in the historic town of Noyon, standing before Noyon Cathedral—and instantly humbled by its presence.
Noyon Cathedral is one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, begun in the mid-12th century, at a time when architecture was fundamentally changing. This was a proving ground for ideas that would later define Gothic design across France and beyond: pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and an emphasis on light and height that still feels revolutionary today. For a town of this size, the scale of the cathedral is astonishing—and intentional.
This place carries deep historical weight…Charlemagne was crowned King of the Franks here in 768, long before Reims became the traditional coronation site. Centuries later, John Calvin, one of the most influential figures of the Reformation, was born and baptized in Noyon—tying this cathedral to pivotal moments in both political and religious history.
Standing there, I felt that familiar surge of excitement—the same feeling I get whenever history, travel, and photography intersect. I launched the drone to capture a perspective that few people ever see, while also leaving myself grounded in the frame below. It seemed interesting that there were so few people out and about in town and I wanted that quietness to be felt.
I never travel without my camera gear, because I’ve learned that curiosity often rewards you when you least expect it. Wandering into places like this—learning their stories, standing where history unfolded, and seeing them from a new perspective—deepens my appreciation for the world and the people who built it. Every trip becomes more meaningful; it becomes another chapter in understanding how connected we all are to the past and to one another.
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